Capodastro for guitars



(No Model.)

A. L. GASSETT. GAPODASTRO FOR GUITARS.

No. 449,216. Patented Mar. 31, 1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()EEicE.

ARTHUR I.. GASSET", OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

CAPODASTRQ FOR GUITARS.

SFE'SZSICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 449,216, dated March 31, 1891.

Application filed November 20, 1890. $erial No. 372,055. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR L. GASSETT, of Cleveland, in the county of Uuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oapodastros; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in capodastros, to the end that the device can be more readily attached to and removed from the musical instrument, and that the presserbar is in a measure self-adjusting to the strings.

lVith these objects in view my invention consists in the details of construction hereinafter described,and pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation, partly in section, showing, also in section, the neck and strings of the instrument at the point where the capodastro is supposed to be attached. Fig. 2 is an end elevation. Fig. 3 is a plan. Fig. 4 is a plan of the locking and presser bars. Fig. 5 is a side elevation showing a modification, hereinafter more fully described.

Referring to Fig. 1, A represents the neck of the instrument, and a, a the strings thereof.

The clamping part of the device comprises in the main members 8, O, and D, arranged as follows: B is a'metal bar connecting the opposing jaws O O,these jaws being located at or near the extremes of the coupling-bar. At least one of these jaws is pivoted to member 13 at b. The opposing jaw may be pivoted in like manner; or it may be integral or rigidly attached to member B, as shown. The lower ends of these jaws are bent toward each other, so as to hook more or less under the tongue of the instrument in clam ping the latter. Member D serves as a presserbar for engaging the strings, and to this end the under side of member D is lined or padded, as at D, with suitable elastic materi. l-such, for instance, as rubberorleatherso as to engage the strings with a yielding pressure, substantially the same as that applied to the strings by the finger of the operator, this lining or pad being usually secured to memberD by gluing or cementing. BarD also serves as a locking=bar for the jaws, to

hold the latter from swinging apart in clamping, and to this end the mechanism is constructed as follows: We will suppose that one jaw is rigidly attached to bar B and that the other jaw is pivoted in the manner shown. In such case the locking-bar D is provided with aloop, as at (1, adapted to embrace loosely the rigid jaw. The pivoted jaw near bar 13 has a narrow or thin section 0, and just below this has a broader section 0', and the co-opcrating end of the bar D hasa slot (1 adapted to receive member 0 of the opposing jaw. The inner portion of this slotis broadenedto receive the wider section of the jaws, the enlargement of the slot being abrupt, leaving shoulders (Z adapted to engage section 0 of the jaw, near the edges thereof. When, therefore, member D is in position close to member B, the pivoted jaw may be swung outward, as shown at the left hand in Fig. 5, in which position of parts the jaws will pass astride the tongue of the instrument, after which the jaws are collapsed or moved toward each other, so as to hook under the tongue of the instrument, as aforesaid, andin this position of parts member D is depressed, so that shoulders (Z engage section 0 of the pivoted jaw, and thus lock the two jaws in their collapsed position. I may here remark that both jaws might be pivoted to member B, in which case both ends of barD would be slotted in the manner already described.

For actuating bar D in moving it up and down,so as to lock and unlock the jaws, some suitable device is provided-such, for in stance, as screw E, this screw engaging a screw-threaded hole at the longitudinal center of bar B. The lower end of this screw is reduced in size, as shown at e, and this reduced section fits loosely in a hole in bar D, the shoulder c of the screw engaging the up per face of the bar and the lower end of the screw being upset in a countersink in the under side of the bar. With such construction bar D may tilt more or less upon the screw for purposes hereinafter mentioned. By manipnlating this screw, therefore, bar D can be moved up or down, as maybe necessaryin unlocking and locking the jaws, and after the jaws have been locked by this bar the latter may be still f nrther depressed, so as to engage the strings of the instrument, and by reason of the pivotal play aforesaid the two extremes of the bar will engage the strings alike. This is rendered more important from the fact that'the strings on one side of theinstrument are usually larger than those on the other side, and, also, the bar mightwear unequally where it engages the different strings.

In place of a screw for actuating member D, various other well-known mechanical devices could be employedsuch, forinstance, as cam F. (Shown in Fig. 5.) The presser-bar can be operated more quickly with the cam than with the screw; but otherwise the screw is preferable. It will be seen, therefore, that the device can quickly and easily be attached to or removed from the instrument, and the device when properly made and the metal portions thereof that are exposed being plated, the device is ornamental rather than otherwise, and is so light, snug, and compact that it can be easily carried in the vest pocket of the operator.

Imay further remark that the lower section of the jaws are preferably round, so that pieces of small rubber tubing may be slipped on these ends to serve as pads, so that thetongue of the instrument is not scratched or marred in clamping, these tubular pads being shown at C. \Yith such construct-ion these pads can be quickly and easily renewed from time to time, as may be found necessary.

hat I claim is- In a capodastro, the combination, with curved jaws connected by means of acrossbar, of a press'er-bar adapted to embrace and close the jaws, and a screw or cam combined with the two bars for forcing them apart and simultaneously closing the jaws and applying the presser-bar t0 the strings, such cam or screw being located atthe central portion of the resser-bar, whereby the latter may adjust itself to the strings of the instrument, substantially as set forth. 4

In testimony whereof I sign this specification, in the presence of two witnesses, this 9th day of October, 1890. 1

ARTHUR L. GASSE'lT.

Witnesses:

O. H. DORER, WARD HoovER. 

